Valley of Abandoned Songs

Whats remarkable about the Felice Brothers first album for Conor Obersts purpose-made imprint Million Stars is that its one of the indie folk Upstate New Yorkers most cohesive works to date. It holds together, both sonically and thematically, despite being assembled from sessions recorded exactly five years apart. The earliest material here -- such as the organic, unhurried, and masterfully sketched "Flowers by the Roadside" -- was recorded at Letterbox Farm, Hudson, New York, in May 2018, ahead of sessions for 2019s eccentric, perhaps lopsided Undress. However, the marginally more polished tracks that appear here -- such as the hazy, slick, and languid opener "Crime Scene Queen" -- were laid down at The Church in Harlemville, New York in May 2023, during the creation of their surprise, year-closing, download-only album Asylum on the Hill. This composite approach enables the listener to hear Ian and James Felices initial recordings with their now established rhythm section of Jesske Hume and Will Lawrence. You can occasionally see the seams where Valley of Abandoned Songs has been stitched together, but its a quirk that just reinforces the Felice Brothers long-established ragged charm, a feature thats been with them since their 2006 inception. Theres a relatively understated modesty in titling an album Valley of Abandoned Songs when the quality of songwriting here is so high. In doing so, though, it becomes perfectly acceptable to present raw takes, usually reserved for archival releases. Both the wonderfully raw, garage-like "Younger as the Days Go By" and the hope-filled ballad "Tomorrow Is Just a Dream Away" drift out of focus as their leader Ian Felice attempts to improvise wordless codas. Although these are brief, fascinating glimpses of whats going on underneath the bonnet, the rest of the album is lyrically tight and poetic. Deceptively simple tales such as the cryptic, Dylanesque "Raccoon, Rooster and Crow" and "Birdies" tap into what Greil Marcus termed "old, weird America," while "So Long John" is a touching requiem for the late poet John Ashbery. Whereas Undress and Asylum on the Hill, along with 2021s From Dreams to Dust, were busy albums, crammed full of ideas -- often incorporating indie rock or straight-ahead pop -- Valley of Abandoned Songs benefits from consistently stark, unadorned folk-rock arrangements. Its also an album of beautifully conveyed balance and duality. "Crime Scene Queen" talks of "sorrow on Joy Street" and "tears of champagne," while on "New York by Moonlight," Felice eloquently lists big city flaws and travails before declaring "theres no place Id rather be." Passing through the Valley of Abandoned Songs, it seems, is a little like visiting the Lost & Found, and theres definite value in these reclaimed works of art. ~ James Wilkinson